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S6475 - Details

S6475 - Summary

Relates to requiring bills with a threshold level of co-sponsorship to be brought to the floor for a vote to be taken thereon.

S6475 - Sponsor Memo

BILL NUMBER: S6475
TITLE OF BILL : An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to
bills with a threshold level of co-sponsorship
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :
To allow for a piece of legislation that has garnered the
co-sponsorship of 76 members of the Assembly and 32 members in the
Senate to be brought to the floor in that respective house for a vote.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1: Amends the legislative law by adding a new section 33-a to
read as follows:
§ 33-a. Bills with a threshold level of co-sponsorship.
1. Any bill introduced in the assembly shall, upon being co-sponsored
by seventy-six or more members, be brought to the floor of the house
for a vote to be taken thereon during the legislative session in which
it was introduced.
2. Any bill introduced in the senate shall, upon being co-sponsored by
thirty-two or more members, be brought to the floor of the house for a
vote to be taken thereon during the legislative session in which it

was introduced.
JUSTIFICATION :
In theory, any piece of legislation in any legislative body that has
earned the sponsorship of more than half its members has been vetted,
passed muster and merits an open floor debate and up or down vote.
This legislation would require that those pieces of legislation that
have garnered widespread support (76 members in the Assembly/32
members in the Senate) be discharged from committee and brought to the
floor for a vote.
It is the very concept of good governance and democracy for a
legislative body to openly debate a bill in the public square that has
the support of the majority of its members, hence a majority of that
legislative body's constituency.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2015-16: A.8658 (Tedisco)
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS :
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6475
I N S E N A T E
January 15, 2016
___________
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
ment Operations
AN ACT to amend the legislative law, in relation to bills with a thresh-
old level of co-sponsorship
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. the legislative law is amended by adding a new section 33-a
to read as follows:
S 33-A. BILLS WITH A THRESHOLD LEVEL OF CO-SPONSORSHIP. 1. ANY BILL
INTRODUCED IN THE ASSEMBLY SHALL, UPON BEING CO-SPONSORED BY SEVENTY-SIX
OR MORE MEMBERS, BE BROUGHT TO THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE FOR A VOTE TO BE
TAKEN THEREON DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN WHICH IT WAS INTRODUCED.
2. ANY BILL INTRODUCED IN THE SENATE SHALL, UPON BEING CO-SPONSORED BY
THIRTY-TWO OR MORE MEMBERS, BE BROUGHT TO THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE FOR A
VOTE TO BE TAKEN THEREON DURING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN WHICH IT WAS
INTRODUCED.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13309-02-5

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